HUGO, Colo. — Out on the Eastern Plains, the ranching community is stepping up to support each other and ensure the next generation is proud to call the area home.
The Eastern Plains Cowbelles started in 2023 by a group of women working to promote the agriculture industry and further engage with the community. McKenzi Stone, president of the Eastern Plains Cowbelles, told Denver7 they have between 50 to 60 members and focus their efforts on different initiatives throughout the year.
One program which Stone talked about is the Local Beef in Local School initiative, where ranchers donate the beef through their program, which is then used for meals at local schools.
"A lot of our kids are going to these local small schools, so we wanted to find a way to teach the kids about agriculture, teaching where their food comes from, and then also support the school, obviously, in a really impactful way," Stone said.
This initiative shows how neighbors are feeding neighbors, as it comes from the kindness of community members who donate the cattle for free.
"The Cowbelles doesn't necessarily need or want or get the glory. It's the generosity from the people that are in our small rural communities that really matters," Stone explained.
So far, the program has donated 3,000 pounds of beef to five different schools, including the Genoa-Hugo School District. Superintendent Dan Melendrez explained how crucial it is to work with local organizations like the Cowbelles to spotlight agriculture in their community.
"I think one of the things that you will find in rural communities is we don't make excuses, we find solutions. And when we find solutions, we work with our local partners to do those things," Melendrez said.
As of this school year, Melendrez said they have 222 students, with around 200 of them receiving school lunch. Having this initiative in the district is also extremely helpful at a time when beef is expensive and other obstacles have formed.
"It's really important that we're working with our local partners. I mean there's a lot of challenges that we're facing, at the state level right now, you know, with budget constraints, government shutdown, and SNAP," said Melendrez. "I think it's really important that we're working with our community to do everything we can to provide for our local families."
Through this program, not only are students getting to enjoy high-quality beef and learning where it comes from, but it also helps with school budgeting, so they can buy fresh produce and local dairy products.
"I think the great thing is when we're working with our local families and our kids are going home with their parents or driving on the bus," said Melendrez. "They're passing by our local ranches and the pastures that the cows are feeding from, so they're able to see that, and not only that, we're able to bring it into our schools and teach our kids the benefits of agriculture in our community."
Being raised on a ranch in northern Lincoln County, Mindy Dutro has roots in agriculture and sees just how big an impact this close-knit community can have on each other, especially through the Local Beef in Local Schools program.
"My family was able to donate to our small school and it's completely eased the burden of having to buy different things for the school. I was speaking to our head cook, and she was saying how she's able to offer two fresh fruits for each meal now instead of canned fruit, because she doesn't have to buy beef," said Dutro.
Looking to the future, Stone shared that there are plans to donate to at least two more schools this coming spring.
"We're in the infancy stage of getting it in a few more local schools right close to us, and then we also have some members in the Eastern Plains Cowbells that are in some of the less rural areas, places like Windsor, Colorado Springs," Stone said. "We're in conversations with those schools to hopefully try and get in the door with that too."
